Early in the spring, we start to see some very good articles from beat writers of individual teams that provide light on certain situations players might not have wanted to discuss last season. Now that the dust has settled and it’s a new season, the players are more willing to open up on matters in the past. One item of interest on this front on Thursday comes from Padres beat writer Dennis Lin regarding All-Star first baseman Wil Myers.
The full story is on sandiegouniontribune.com and it’s well worth the read for those interested. The basics are that Myers had a minor wrist injury and was wondering if he should hit the disabled list. His agent told him to play through the injury, so long as he could keep playing and not make the issue worse. Myers then took to veteran Padres starting pitcher (at the time; he’s since been traded) James Shields.
Some snippets on what came next?
Essentially, Myers said, Shields told him to “quit being a baby.”
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“I wasn’t a wuss. I just didn’t know any better. … It took James Shields telling me three years into my big-league career, ‘You’ve got to stop being a wuss and get out there and play every day because that’s what you do here. You’re at the highest level now. There is nowhere else to go. You’re here. So it’s about showing up every day, doing your routine and playing every single day.’”
Again, the full story has many more details and it’s worth a read.
Myers later said it was the best advice anyone had ever given him. What followed was Myers blossoming into a star. When the conversation is said to have happened, Myers was hiting .262/.294/.432 with seven homers and six stolen bases in 46 games. Afterward, he hit .257/.353/.474 with 21 homers and 22 steals in 111 games. It was a difference of 100 OPS points and a totally new mindset, per Myers. He also made the All-Star team and took part in the Home Run Derby, both of which were in San Diego’s Petco Park.
Myers now has a six-year, $83 million deal and is the face of the Padres franchise.
So consider the advice from Shields a parting gift to the fans of San Diego. It took a veteran to tell Myers to suck it up, and now he’s your star.
